Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty visited the Chinese capital Beijing earlier this week for talks with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi on Friday that coincided with the end of the Egypt-China Year of Partnership.
The two men reviewed Egyptian-Chinese bilateral ties and the progress achieved in various fields of cooperation including manufacturing, infrastructure, energy, science and technology, and aviation and space, as well as the contribution of Chinese companies to development projects in Egypt.
Diaa Helmi, a member of the Asia Committee at the Egyptian Council for Foreign Relations (ECFA), described Egyptian-Chinese relations as strong, as is shown by major Chinese investments in Egypt with more than 2,000 Chinese companies having a presence in the country.
As well as marking the end of the Egypt-China Year of Partnership, Abdelatty’s visit commemorated the 10th anniversary of the signing of the strategic partnership agreement between the two countries in 2014.
It also came at a time when the world is facing major and growing economic challenges. “It was a must for the two friendly countries to coordinate their positions regarding these challenges,” Helmi told Al-Ahram Weekly.
The fourth round of the strategic dialogue between Egypt and China, held during the visit, concluded with a joint statement in which the two countries stressed the need to implement what was agreed upon by both their presidents during talks in May.
Now that the Middle East region is at a crossroads, coordination between Egypt and China, a major world power, is more necessary than ever, Helmi added.
Egypt is facing security challenges that make enhancing bilateral relations even more important, he said. “This explains why the fourth article of the joint statement highlighted Egyptian sovereignty as well as the integrity of China,” he added, emphasising the importance of the timing and content of the statement.
In the fourth article of the statement, China pledged to continue its support for Egypt’s national sovereignty and territorial integrity and rejection of any external interference in its domestic affairs.
Egypt underlined its continuing commitment to the One-China Principle and reaffirmed that it considers Taiwan to be an integral part of China.
According to the joint statement, both countries will continue to benefit from cooperation mechanisms in the fields of diplomacy, the economy, trade, investment, and the productive use of energy, among others, to speed up the implementation of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) as well as Egypt’s Vision 2030.
Implementing targets agreed with the BRICS group of countries was also one of the main issues discussed during Abdelatty’s visit.
The two sides agreed on the need to boost coordination and cooperation to fulfil the outcomes of the first BRICS Summit. This bloc aims to preserve the common interests of the developing countries and enhance the solidarity and cooperation of the Global South.
The founding members of the BRICS group were Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, and the UAE joined last year.
Both countries agreed that the just settlement of the Palestinian cause is the main pillar of restoring stability in the Middle East.
They called for ending the Israeli occupation and establishing a Palestinian state based on the borders of 4 June 1967 with Jerusalem as its capital, adding that the implementation of the two-state solution was the only way to settle the Palestinian cause.
They highlighted the necessity of reaching an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza and denounced acts of violence and the targeting of civilians and infrastructure in Gaza as blatant violations of international humanitarian law.
Helmi said that Beijing agrees with Egypt’s vision of the pivotal Palestinian issue. “Both countries agreed that the Middle East will not be stable without resolving this issue that has ignited conflicts for more than 75 years,” he said.
The two foreign ministers said that they were closely following developments in Syria and emphasised their governments’ support for Syria’s sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity.
During his visit to Beijing, Abdelatty also met other senior Chinese officials and exchanged views on regional and international developments.
He met the heads of major Chinese companies, especially those operating in Egypt.
In his meeting with members of the Egyptian expatriate community in China, Abdelatty underlined the important role this can play in strengthening ties at both the governmental and popular levels, especially with an important partner such as China.
Helmi said that the meeting with the expatriate community was because expatriates can represent the country abroad and can be influential in enhancing bilateral relations.
Abdelatty’s visit to China was his first since he came to office. President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi visited Beijing in May, and Prime Minister Mustafa Madbouli was there in September. Al-Sisi has been to China eight times since becoming president in 2014.
* A version of this article appears in print in the 19 December, 2024 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly
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